Life of Pa- ...the naughty

The Shapers of a software engineer

Disclaimer

For fun evoking and not to hurt anyone - please agree, before you proceed.

Intro

One news that shocked me during the covid, was the suicide of bollywood filmstar Sushanth Singh Rajput. How could the hero of the movie Chhichhore with the main theme against suicide succumb. 

Everyone should realise that Life is the most precious gift - that no fame, richness, money can buy. Live it to the full, everything will change with time - yes take a pause but not stop life.

Hometown

Like some or many of you, I come from a small town. It got two names Mandamarri (group of banyan 🌲) aka Kalyani Khani a place of coal mines with people from all over India migrated and settled. Our street had mix of several characters - hen, goat, sheep, cow, buffalo raisers; farming in the lawns, backyard & rooftops; tailors, gold smith, carpenter, drunkards, quarellers etc. - many lived in their old ways. We too had the trees, hens, cow, tailor-mom. Streets were busy with sellers, beggars, drunkards, hens, dogs, cows, buffaloes, garbage dumps, open drains and pigs. Some door gates were written - oo sthri repu ra instead of a name plate.

Like in our Cyberworld virus, Hacking - Naxalism was rampant in those days and most of the parents were worried about the future of their children. Studies was the only path for better future.

Naughty me

My mom told me that she had to search for the entire street n houses without luck, and when she returned home to her surprise I was sleeping in the bed. God's way to warn her of the future lying infront. Petty home coins thief, tease and quarrel with siblings, pick-up fights with friends, foes.

One of my back bench fellow cut my back with a shaving blade, unable to bear me. One neighbour bit my head and imprinted his tooth. At cricket play a friend, blackened my eye with a punch. When my father was asleep, I used to silently open the lock and steel the cycle to learn and enjoy rides. At times fell and badly injured the cycle and myself. Some of those marks are still on my body. And I would lie at home, as if they were genuine accidents.

If someone was weaker than me, I would fight. But when he was stronger, I had an insulting weapon against them. Once I did the same to one of my neighbour, who was elder than me. It was brought to my father's notice, how can a good-looking gentleman's son show balls to us. I was tied to a 🌲 in my house. My father would punish rarely but severely.

-My mother used to stich my neckers bit loose and I was not wearing inners then.

Parents & Teachers

Like Ajith took Sachin to Achrekar, my father took me at the age of 11 to Rajendar - my first tution master. His sticks were not like the ones my school teachers used, they were like police lathis. The third degree punishment and cries of some, threatened the other sheep. Rajenders are all alike.

Parents wanted us do only 2 activities the most - Study and do domestic work. Any imbalance, they would punish. There was punishment everywhere - home, school and tuition. For me, Hindi was the toughest subject and I used to mug up like a sloka without knowing the meaning. Telugu master was known in the school for his methods of punishment - square cut on the cheeks (slap) with classmates including girls. Tuition homework, School homework, impositions, fights - made me stressed. To top all these, if failed in exams - getting the progress card signed by my father was a nightmare. Teacher used to pinch in the sleeves but my father used to pinch in the thighs.

And the School excursion trip time - my parents used to ask me, if Venkat is going. My answer was - no. If Class topper is not going, how can you go? I didn't go anytime.

Stressbusters

Then we had the Interval breaks, Drill or sports period, Playing with colony friends, Sunday outdoors, Festival holidays and the big summer break. The School picnic day, Teacher's day to see the sporting teachers and Annual day were always fun. 

Beggars & Entertainers

Different types of beggars and the street  entertainers gave us the fun. The heavy loaded vehicles aka Swinging drunkards, filthy quarrels by neighbours. 

On holidays - several times my family had to search for me, as I used to go on prolonged outdoors from am to pm. 

The once in a while cycle ride with my father to the market, BTW, he sung while cycling. Enjoyed the icecream and gulab jamun he bought there.

Love Vibes

Love movies like Aashiqui, Maine Pyar Kiya, TV - had effect on us. Bhanu was my bench mate and he had a girl friend. During one of the chit chats while the class was on, I was noticed by our teacher and punished me to stand outside the class. In hindi period, it's better for me to stand out and enjoy the sight of the large campus and ground. In our movies mothers get-up shocked from sleep when their hero son is in trouble. So was my mother - I saw her walk into the campus. My heart was in my mouth. I was hiding behind a pillar & praying, she would either go to my brother's or sister's class - after paying the fee. Or the hindi period to end soon. My prayers were not answered! But incidents like these bring change.

Realisation & Take-off

9th - Biology unit exam, even after copying, xexox as it was in text book, I got low mark. Like our managers, teachers do know the calibre of their students based on the daily class performances. I realised and started the genuine efforts, the same teacher recognised and I could score good in the exams that followed.

10th - SSC board

After exams in my sleep one night had a dream to look at my marks memo, as 436 marks - and it had come true later. School 5th rank, co-shared with my future wife.

After 10th - then it was like either stop studies or do Polytechnic Diploma / MPC / BiPC / ITI (not IIT, ITI). I followed the majority and opted for MPC.

Hyderabad

Based on my EAMCET rank my father suggested me to take Engineering in Mining. So that I can be posted as Under Manager with good salary, car and officers bunglow. We had to go for the seat allocation, I told my father not to waste his leaves and convinced that I will take mining. I went to counseling with a friend and took CSE. My father was upset and not in talking terms. Few days later he returns from work, sits next to me and says - Computer kuda manchidhey nata ga. I asked him who told, he said his Mine Manager.

Engineering & Bachelorhood at HIG

Your shirt was mine and my shirt was yours.

First Job

Job trails, sick, ECIL, lost 12...

On 1st April, 2000 - I was called for an interview in a small MNC in Banjara Hills, and I was selected. I called and informed my parents, they were happy like me. But when I called my friends, they say are you trying to do April fool - oh Date matters...

My first Team was great and I can never forget those memories, the parties we had.

Our Friday team meeting was a fake, it was a party delegation meeting by our PL.

With every yearly hike, my waist also increased by an inch or two. After 7 Years of Home - Office - Kids routine, I felt the need for a change to come out of the stress.

Struggles for fitness - gym, walking.

I never felt happy about a walk without a purpose. Used to buy vegetables, while returning from the walk. I thought walking on main roads was making me sick due to the pollution. 

Intellect

Few say that when every other company are paying WFH perks, why not Intellect? And they swipe off the yearly APDP variable.

If I was CEO, I would do have gone with ESOP or Future credit note.

Citibank & Client

They adapted the OOPs concepts like  Polymorphism, Multi-threading in their real lives. My client looks like Ram but plays the Ravan avatar. Ravan had 10 heads but my client has 10 hands. 

The 3-idiots fame Virus could write with two hands - my client listens two calls with two ears, two screens with two eyes and in parallel bangs the keyboard to compose emails. 

They expect us to walk as soon as we are born, like animals do.

Covid Story

On valentine's day, to look good I went to saloon for grooming. As I step-in saw the barbers girl-friend inside, it was not a Unisex saloon. May be I disturbed his peace, by mistake or revenge he cut my ear and bloodied it. I thought enough, and left.

On V-Day instead of red 🌹, I had to show my wife red ear. And she asked me, if I paid him. I said I tipped him ₹50 coz the ear lobe was intact and didn't come out.

The time saved due to no commute, getting ready etc. Managers think that it's their, Client thinks it's his, Spouse thinks same - but none says it's mine. And I realised that the time saved from no Shopping, no Eat outs is only mine.

Gave second skin to my ear phone cable.

I can only see smile on my wife face, only when the maid returns to work.

Covid made me to take-up new avatars as Barber, Plumber and what not - engineers can do anything and everything.

Professional Stressbusters

I realised that they are not different from the childhood stressbusters. 

Hindi - took help from Hindi speaking friends.

My childhood, I put-up a badminton court in our lawn to avoid the disturbance of the passersby.

To avoid work seekers, most of the holidays, either I would play with friends or outdoors spread around 5KM radius of our hometown. 

Bird watching, Swimming, Star gazing, Treks, Rivers - all were mine. 

Naughty me had once spotted an owl (bad omen) and crawled behind it and caught with bare hands, it requires some talent.

At adulthood, found my stressbusters by developing hobbies including - Badminton, Travel, Treks and Adventure (White water rafting, rapelling, trekking, paragliding, wild life safaris, waterfalls, mountains, peaks, evergreen forests, travel and ofcourse music) These keep me going...

Conclusion & Gratitude

The - stick, slap, spit, slipper, fist, rope and lathi didn't shape the naughty fellow but the people in my life - everyone including you.

Thanks to the shapers of my life, some had gone to live with God.

My team

They're are like Kapil's devil's, the way they handle the challenges thrown day and night by the demanding customer Citibank - the production issues, new features, tight deadlines, on-call support. Our secret weapon to over come is the intellectual defence. Let me demonstrate what we do through a small video clip.

You are the hero in your story. Be a

Vivekananda's gyan for a better life